[Ed note: This story combines reports from two separate articles. In the first report are results comparing the likelihood of being infected (and surviving) after having one of the three vaccines that are commonly available in the US. The second report compares the risk of death that results from being infected subsequent to being vaccinated (from the same set of three commonly-available vaccines). No vaccine is perfect; get your booster when it is available; wear a mask in public indoor spaces; and get tested regularly. The life you save may be that of a family member, loved-one, or co-worker! Emphasis retained from originals.--martyb]
Study in Science of more than 780,000 Veterans is the first to compare waning protection rates across all three vaccine types available to most Americans and to directly report death rates after breakthrough infection.
A new study in the leading journal Science reviewed COVID-19 breakthrough infections among 780,225 Veterans, finding that vaccine protection declined from 87.9% to 48.1% during the 2021 Delta surge in the U.S. The researchers from PHI, the Veterans Affairs Medical Center and the University of Texas Health Science Center found a dramatic decline in effectiveness for the Janssen (Johnson and Johnson) vaccine, from 86.4% in March to 13%.1 in September. They also found that vaccination of any type was protective against death among infected individuals.
As COVID-19 breakthrough infections continue to emerge in some vaccine recipients and health authorities are developing policies around booster vaccinations, national data on COVID-19 vaccine breakthrough infections is inadequate but urgently needed. Now a study from the Public Health Institute, the Veterans Affairs Medical Center and the University of Texas Health Science Center published today in the journal Science analyzed COVID infection by vaccination status among 780,225 Veterans.
Researchers found that protection against any COVID-19 infection declined for all vaccine types, with overall vaccine protection declining from 87.9% in February to 48.1% by October 2021.
- The decline was greatest for the Janssen (Johnson & Johnson) vaccine, with protection against infection declining from 86.4% in March to 13%.1 in September
- Declines for PfizerBioNTech were from 86.9% to 43.3%
- Declines for Moderna were 89.2% to 58%.
While most previous studies have focused on the PfizerBioNTech or Moderna vaccines, the Science study is the first to compare protection declines across the three main vaccine types, and the first to show the comparably dramatic decline in effectiveness for the Janssen vaccine. Declines were assessed over the period February 1, 2021 to October 1, 2021, reflecting the emergence and dominance of the Delta variant in the U.S. Patterns of breakthrough infection over time were consistent by age, despite rolling vaccine eligibility, implicating the Delta variant as the primary determinant of infection.
Importantly, vaccination of any type was protective against death among individuals who did become infected. The relative benefit of vaccination for protection against death was greater for persons under 65 but was also very strong for persons over 65.
For those under 65 years old, vaccines overall were 81.7% effective against death.
- Protection against death was greatest for the Pfizer vaccine, at 84.3%.
- Moderna was the next most effective, at 81.5%.
- Janssen was 73% effective.
For those 65 and over, overall vaccine effectiveness against death was 71.6%.
- Moderna was 75.5% effective.
- Pfizer was 70.1% effective.
- Janssen was 52.2% effective.
"Our study gives researchers, policy makers and others a strong basis for comparing the long-term effectiveness of COVID vaccines, and a lens for making informed decisions around primary vaccination, booster shots, and other multiple layers of protection, including masking mandates, social distancing, testing and other public health interventions to reduce chance of spread," said Dr. Barbara Cohn of PHI, the lead author of the study. "For example, the CDC recommendation for boosters for all Janssen recipients over 18 is supported by our results. And, given the declines in vaccine protection and the dominance of the more infective Delta variant, we urge swift action to promote primary vaccination, boosters and to also encourage masking, social distancing and other layers of protection against infection. This is supported by our finding that breakthrough infections are not benign, but also by the strong evidence that vaccination still protects against death even for persons with breakthrough infections, compared to persons who become infected and are not vaccinated."
The FDA authorized Pfizer boosters for some groups in September and Moderna and Janssen boosters in October, and the CDC has made similar recommendations, including supporting a "mix and match" approach that allows people to choose any of the three vaccine boosters regardless of which they were given initially.
Journal Reference:
Barbara A. Cohn, Piera M. Cirillo, Caitlin C. Murphy, et al.
SARS-CoV-2 vaccine protection and deaths among US veterans during 2021, Science [open] (DOI: 10.1126/science.abm0620)
(Score: 5, Interesting) by quietus on Wednesday December 01 2021, @10:37AM (7 children)
I've tried to mod parent post interesting, but it keeps at +1 flamebait.
I think parent is correct: first, making unlimited profit on something this essential is ethically not correct: like making unlimited profit on basic education, after you've privatized the whole system. In my opinion, the US and the EU should coordinate the price of the vaccine to their citizens, and that price should be equal for all brands. (And no, I wouldn't go for the lowest price, rather for a median.)
Second, if you do not get the [large majority of] the rest of the world vaccinated i.e. do not invest in cheap vaccine production over there, you're pretty much guaranteed to have new variants of the virus being introduced like clockwork. I do not think this will happen though, as it implies a wealth transfer from, basically, the EU and the US, to the rest of the world -- and that would just be welcome fodder to the various versions of extreme right and left who seem to thrive on chaos and discontent.
(Score: 3, Informative) by janrinok on Wednesday December 01 2021, @10:47AM (1 child)
It seems that others are down-modding just as much as you're are up-modding. I have added 'Interesting' which is currently displayed so the software is working. Perhaps people just have strong views on the comment in question.
I am not interested in knowing who people are or where they live. My interest starts and stops at our servers.
(Score: 2) by quietus on Wednesday December 01 2021, @11:31AM
(Score: 2) by Lester on Wednesday December 01 2021, @02:39PM (3 children)
I am Spanish, and I had all shots for free, as anyone I know. In fact I have not paid for a PCR test either. (well, I did really pay test and shots, but with my taxes).
EU signed contracts to buy pfizer, moderna and astraZeneca (AFAIK not for Janssen) with a very good price. (AstraZeneca didn't honour the contract and sold doses to other for higher price)
(Score: 2) by quietus on Wednesday December 01 2021, @03:40PM (2 children)
Both Pfizer and Moderna renegotiated their contracts with the EU during the summer, resulting in a price increase of +25% [nasdaq.com] for Pfizer (the price went from €15.5 to €19.5)? The reason Pfizer gave was global inflation, supply chain bottlenecks, and high demand.
Supply chain bottlenecks should hit delivery dates, not price. You could further assume that the demand factor had been calculated into the previous price. Leaves the inflation argument: which assumes an inflation rate of 25%.
That's for the EU, which has serious economic clout. What do you think happens with lesser partners?
(Score: 2) by Lester on Saturday December 04 2021, @04:07PM (1 child)
Would each country negotiating on its own have got a better deal?
Would hundreds retailers trying that sell to final consumer negotiating on their own had got a better deal?
I don't think so
(Score: 2) by quietus on Sunday December 05 2021, @08:46AM
Ofcourse not -- that's my point: you should not assume that pharma companies are do-gooders which will give you a good deal because you ask nicely. Both the United States and the European Union because of the size and wealth of their population. Following that reasoning, both negotiating together would be able to get an even lower price. A lower, and uniform, price for the US and EU would mean a lower reference price for other negotiating parties, which would lead to more people having access to vaccines.
(Score: 2) by crafoo on Wednesday December 01 2021, @03:58PM
People are essentially making unlimited profit off of public education. All of the administrators, and they are growing in number (and size. why are they all tubs of fat?) They make this profit at the point of a gun.